While Truvativ was causing a storm with its new HammerSchmidt, it was oddly quiet on the Bionicon stand where a virtually identical product was on display.

The B-Boxx transmission is a cooperation between Universal Transmission (the Nicolai spin-off that deals with G-Boxx gearboxes and the like) and Bionicon (best known for its fully-adjustable full-suspension bikes. It’s been in development since 2003 and isn’t due for release until sometime in 2010, a schedule that we can’t help thinking has “missing the boat” writ large upon it.

Like HammerSchmidt, it’s a two-speed planetary gearbox. The ratio on the B-Boxx is 1.65:1, giving the equivalent of a 22/36 chainring setup. Alternative chainrings will be available if you want a higher range.

Rather than a trigger shifter, B-Boxx uses a bar-mounted push-button to activate the magnetic pawls that bring the overdrive gear into play.

Having started work on this in 2003, the designers must be a bit miffed that SRAM has got something almost identical on the market (and, more importantly, onto bikes) before them. Being a year behind is going to leave B-Boxx with a lot of catching up to do…